[Portrait] REV. JOHN M‘MILLAN, OF SANDHILLS.

SKETCH

OF THE HISTORY OF

THE FIRST REFORMED

PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION,

NOW

THE GREAT HAMILTON STREET FREE CHURCH,

GLASGOW.

BY

THOMAS BINNIE.

J. AND R. PARLANE.

PAISLEY.

1888.

PREFACE.

THE history of the First Reformed Presbyterian Congregation is necessarily to some extent a history of the whole Church. The difficulty of writing such a history, can only be appreciated by those who have tried to ascertain accurately, the facts regarding any event which occurred, say a hundred years ago. Minute books, even when preserved, often shed wonderfully little light on the events which we now regard as the most interesting; but many of the earlier congregational records have been lost, and the information they would have supplied, has only partially been obtainable from other sources.

I have freely availed myself of the numerous articles, from various pens, bearing on the history of the Church and the Congregation, which have appeared in the Reformed Presbyterian Magazine, and elsewhere, I have to thank many friends for

6 PREFACE.

much kind assistance; and I must particularly acknowledge the kindness of the Session and Deacons’ Court, in allowing me the long-continued use of all the old Minute Books of the Congregation, which have been preserved.

It is hardly necessary that I should here specially name the late Mr Robert Walker. The large extracts from his “Chronicles of the Congregation,” printed in the appendix, show how much I owe to him, and free use has been made of his reminiscences in other places.

The portrait of the Rev. John M‘Millan, of Sandhills, is taken by the kind permission of Miss Rowatt, Birkenhead, from the original oil painting in her possession. The portrait of the Rev. John Fairley, is copied from a beautiful water colour in the possession of the Rev. John Fairley Daly, B.D., of Renwick Free Church, Glasgow. The other portraits are copies of well-known photographs. Mrs Armstrong has informed me that there is no portrait of her husband. He never would allow one to be taken. I have been unable to hear of any portrait of the Rev. John M‘Millan, of Balmaghie.

GLASGOW, December, 1888.